Following the shutdown of Cumulus Media Hot AC 95.5 WPLJ New York on Friday, the company has cut ties with the Program Directors of its other two New York City properties.
Craig Schwalb departs as Program Director of Conservative Talk 770 WABC after five and a half years. Schwab joined WABC from Cumulus’ WPRO Providence in January 2014 and has also served as Program Director of 97.1 WKRK Detroit, 850 WRBZ Raleigh, 590 WFNS St. Louis as well as Senior Director of Talk Programming for SiriusXM. He also served as APD of 102.7 WNEW New York during its Hot Talk period and through the launch of the ill-fated “Blink 102.7” format.
Ken Johnson first came to Cumulus New York as the launch PD of Urban AC “Radio 103.9” WNBM Bronxville NY in July 2014. He returned to Birmingham AL in April 2015 and added the role of Vice President of Urban formats in early 2016. He would return to WNBM in December 2017.
WPLJ PD Dave LaBrozzi will remain with the company overseeing WABC and WNBM. LaBrozzi joined Cumulus in May 2018 from the VP/Programming role at Entercom Baltimore and has also held that title for Clear Channel Pittsburgh.
CUMULUS MEDIA announces that it has named David LaBrozzi as Program Director for legendary New York City News/Talk radio station 77 WABC New York and for popular Bronxville/New York Urban AC station Radio 103.9/WNBM-FM. LaBrozzi joins the stations from 95.5 PLJ in New York, where he served as Program Director since May 2018. Prior to that, LaBrozzi was Vice President, Programming, for Entercom’s four-station cluster in Baltimore, MD, for 14 years. He previously served as Regional Vice President of Programming for Clear Channel/iHeart Media, overseeing stations in Pittsburgh, PA; Wheeling, WV; and Johnstown, PA. LaBrozzi’s career also includes programming stops in Dallas, TX; San Antonio, TX; Austin, TX; and Nashville, TN.
Chad Lopez, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus New York, said: “Dave will be an incredible asset to 77 WABC and Radio 103.9/WNBM-FM, and brings experience in both the News/Talk and Urban AC formats to his new role with Cumulus New York. We are looking forward to continuing to grow these stations and to giving their passionate listeners even more of the content and community connection that they rely on and enjoy every day.”
LaBrozzi said: “I am honored and thrilled to lead programming at 77 WABC and Radio 103.9/WNBM, and look forward to working with the powerhouse teams at these incredible stations to do great things together. I want to thank Chad Lopez, Dave Milner, Mike McVay and Brian Philips for giving me this tremendous opportunity.”
It’s pretty difficult for me not to see Dave LaBrozzi as anything but a mere caretaker until Cumulus’ creditors force a sale of both stations. Why would a company that just traded away one rimshot and sold their lone full-power FM want to keep a stand-alone AM with minimal ratings and revenue and a microscopic move-in FM pinned in to a bad signal?